Beauty From Ashes
by leighann415
Summary: This is the unseen heartbeat appointment from "Maris Returns" & "Murder Most Maris." Happy Birthday Kristen3! *hugs*


**Author's Note:** Happy Birthday Kristen (Kristen3)! This idea came out of "Maris Returns/Murder Most Maris." I thought we should see the unseen heartbeat appointment. Enjoy!

* * *

Daphne sat in the waiting room of the doctor's office. The ticking of the clock reminding her every second that Niles wasn't with her. He should be here. She wasn't sure what was keeping him. She knew he'd been under a lot of stress lately, with Maris entering back into their lives. She thought she finally had Niles all to herself until this happened. She sighed. She had already looked at all the magazines on the table. Coming here frequently, she knew them by heart by now anyway.

"Mrs. Crane? It looks like your husband isn't showing up. Do you want to go ahead and hear the heartbeat without him?"

Daphne shook her head. She wanted Niles to be here to witness the moment. "No, I want him to be here. Can we please reschedule? I don't know what's keeping him. He would be here."

"Rescheduling will be fine. How about we try this again in a week?"

She didn't know what would happen in a week, but she made the appointment anyway and left the office and headed towards home when her cell phone rang. She picked it up immediately.

It was Frasier on the other end of the line. "Daphne, don't go to the Montana. Niles is here in my apartment. There was a little mishap in Nervosa."

Daphne's heartbeat quickened. "Oh my God! I was wondering why he didn't make our doctor's appointment. I kept waiting and waiting. Is he alright?"

"He seems to be better than he was in the cafe. I'll explain it to you when you get here."

"Ok, thank you Frasier." She hung up and quickly got in the car and made the trip to Frasier's apartment, thinking all the while that she should've been there for her husband, instead of the other way around. What kind of wife would abandon her husband? She felt the tiniest movement in her stomach as an answer. She smiled thinking of the new life growing there. She hoped this little one wouldn't have to know who Maris Crane was or any of that.

She parked the car in Frasier's building's parking garage and took the elevator to 1901, which seemed longer than usual. She entered Frasier's apartment to find Roz there, along with Frasier on the sofa. They both looked worried.

"Alright, I'm here. What happened?" She sat down between them as Roz began telling the story of how Niles had a panic attack. Roz got the last straw, literally, which set him off. He started stripping his clothes down until he was butt naked.

Daphne gasped in surprise and sympathy for her husband. "My poor Niles..."

"Something like this happened when we were kids, but nothing to this extreme. I'm afraid Maris has finally got him." Frasier said.

A tear started to run down Daphne's face when Niles entered the room. He was dressed in a robe and looking like himself. The man Daphne married.

He went over to her and she pulled him into an embrace. "I'm sorry I wasn't here for you. I should've been. But I wanted to keep the doctor's appointment."

"It's alright Daphne. I'm fine now. I vowed never to do that again. I'm sorry for acting like a kid. I'm glad you didn't see it Daphne."

Frasier patted Niles on the shoulder. "It's ok. If it weren't for Roz, it would've turned into something a lot bigger."

"Thank you, Roz. I owe you one."

"Oh, it was nothing. I knew you didn't need any extra attention from the police. And no damage was done."

Niles looked at Daphne. "Oh I think there was. I've been an awful husband to you lately, but I swear I'm going to make it up to you. Maris _will_ be gone from our lives soon."

Daphne started to cry again and she hugged Niles. She didn't want to let him go. "You're wonderful. We both think so." She pointed at her belly. She put Niles' hand on her stomach so he could feel the movement. Niles smiled. "This is what makes everything worth it. So, did you get to hear this little miracle's heart?"

"No. You weren't there, so I rescheduled. I didn't want you to miss it. We go back in a week."

Not being there for Daphne reminded him of his foolishness. He'll never forgive himself for that. And he vowed he wouldn't have to tell this child about this. Or about Maris.

* * *

A week passed, and Niles and Daphne were at the doctor's office. Being there with Niles made the whole office seem different to Daphne. Lighter. She held on to his hand. "I'm glad you're here now."

Niles smiled. "Me too. I wouldn't miss this for the world."

A nurse called them back to the rooms where they waited till the doctor got everything set up. "I'm sorry we had to reschedule this. Everything is fine now."

The doctor smiled and said, "No need to apologize. Things happen. Now let's hear this baby's heartbeat, shall we?"

Niles held on to Daphne the whole time as they listened to the little rhythmic sounds of their baby's heart. Niles felt himself starting to cry. In all his life, he has never done this before, and he was ecstatic to do it with Daphne. If you said 5 years ago he'd be here in this place, he would've said it was crazy.

He looked at Daphne, who had tears in her eyes too. "Hear that, Niles? It's our little baby! _Our_ baby!" The tears came harder.

Niles wished he could bottle this moment up and keep it forever. No matter how many more children he and Daphne would have, nothing would top this, the first little beats of their firstborn's heart. And there would be many more firsts to come.

 **The End**


End file.
